Gonzalo Gamarra Jordan
Thesis: The ἀγών between Aristotle and Syrianus on Plato’s Ideas
I am a PhD candidate in Philosophy at Humboldt University, Berlin, funded by the DFG through the “Research Training Group: Philosophy, Science and the Sciences.” My research focuses on the relationship between mathematics and philosophy, particularly in Aristotle’s Metaphysics M & N and Syrianus’ commentary on these books. In M & N Aristotle presents a series of criticisms to important Platonic ideas such as the forms, the intermediate ontological status of mathematical objects, and form-numbers as principle of things. It was not until the 5th century CE that someone came forward to explicitly challenge Aristotle’s criticisms and present a defense of Platonism. This was done by Syrianus in the form of a commentary. My dissertation is concerned with elucidating this specific dialogue and the arguments therein presented. I am writing under the supervision of Jonathan Beere and Christoph Helmig.
Outside of ancient philosophy, I have a strong academic interest in Philosophy of Mathematics (esp., Leibniz, Berkeley, Husserl, and Wittgenstein), Kierkegaard, and Ancient Chinese Political Philosophy. I also enjoy reading Pascal, Rousseau, Machiavelli, and Ibn Arabi. From the East, I have been captivated by the Upanishads, the Majjhima Nikaya, the Zhuangzi, the Vimalakirti Sutra, and the Yoga Vasistha.
I grew up in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Then, I moved to the USA to study the ‘Great Books’ at St. John’s College, where I obtained a bachelor in Liberal Arts and a master in Eastern Classics before moving to Berlin as a pre-doctoral fellow in Philosophy.
Résumé
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
2016 – present |
Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy; Research Training Group: Philosophy, Science and the Sciences; Thesis: The ἀγών between Aristotle and Syrianus on Plato’s Ideas |
2015 – 2016 |
Pre-Doctoral Fellow in Philosophy; Research Training Group: Philosophy, Science and the Sciences; Thesis: Theaetetus’ Mathematical Story in relation to Socrates’ Dream |
St. John’s College, NM
2014 – 2015 |
M.A. in Eastern Classics; Thesis: Imagination’s Decisive Role in becoming Virtuous according to Mencius |
Howard and Edna Hong Kierkegaard Library
2014 |
Kierkegaard Young Scholar working under the supervision of Gordon Marino |
Rome Institute of Liberal Arts
2012 |
Summer Program Student |
St. John’s College, NM
2010 – 2014 |
B.A. in Liberal Arts; Thesis: What a piece of work is a Man! An Inquiry into Man’s Potential to Know |
Awards, Fellowships, Grants and Scholarships
2016 – present |
Doctoral Fellowship by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft |
2015 – 2016 |
Pre-Doctoral Fellowship by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft |
2014 – 2015 |
Graduate Institute Scholarship |
2014 |
Dean’s Award 2014 to the member of the Senior Class who has excelled in service to the community |
2010 – 2014 |
St. John’s College Grant |
2013 |
Ariel Fellowship |
|
Apprenticeship in Creative Writing with Bolivian author Homero Carvalho Oliva |
2012 |
Ahmanson Scholarship |
|
RILA Program |
Contact: gonzalo.gamarra.jordan@gmail.com